Have you ever wondered why Facebook’s accent color and logo is blue? Or, why Coca Cola is red? Or why Stumble Upon is orange? In the case of Facebook, it happens to be blue because its founder, Mark Zuckerberg is red-green color blind and blue is the color he sees the most of.
Most companies choose color strategically when they design their logo because science suggests that different colors evoke different emotions in us. How does this affect you as you figure out how to design your blog? Picking the color that best reflects your blog’s personality and the personality of your audience (or desired audience if you are just starting out and are still establishing your readership base) is a very important component of your overall blog design.
As we’ve examined many aspects of blog design in this ongoing series, we thought we’d be remiss if we left a consideration of color off the list.
Color Choice Affects Blog Design
Even if you’re still learning how to blog, choosing the right accent color or colors for your blog can help increase your blog traffic. So, how do you know what color is right for your blog? Consider these high level emotions associated with eight common colors:
- Yellow – Evokes feelings of optimism and youth. Good for grabbing attention quickly.
- Red – Evokes feelings of energy and vitality. Good for creating a sense of urgency.
- Blue – Evokes feelings of trust and security. Good for business and banks who seek their customers’ trust.
- Green – Evokes feelings of calmness and relaxation but also generates a sense of growth. As the easiest color to process, it is good for creating a sense of wealth or success.
- Orange – Evokes feelings of aggression. Good for creating a sense of action such as encouraging visitors to buy or sell.
- Pink – Evokes feelings of romance and love. Good for communicating to women and young girls.
- Black – Evokes feelings of power and opulence. Good for elite or luxury products and services.
- Purple – Evokes feelings of calm and has a soothing effect. Good for beauty products.
So which color is right for your blog depends on what feelings you want to evoke from your viewers or generally what niche you’re going after. Blue or green is a logical choice for personal finance blogs, while pink and purple are a safe choice for blogs geared toward women or stay at home moms.
Design Your Blog in Your Color
There’s an abundance of research available to dig deeper into what color combinations would be best for your blog but one quick and easy test is to keep track of blogs you enjoy visiting. Blogs that make you feel good just by looking at them. Examine the color schemes being used and consider if you fall within the audience you’re targeting for your blog. If you do, chances are your audience will like it too.
What’s YOUR Favorite Color When It Comes To Blogs?
If your blog is already established, why did you choose the color(s) you did?
Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Photo courtesy of: Michael Hernandez